IGN review: Razer Megalodon 7.1 Gaming Headphones

"As far as the default audio performance is concerned, the Megalodon is pretty impressive. We tested the headset with a variety of different sources, including Children of Men on Blu-ray, Left 4 Dead, and a series of web-based HD videos. The result of our tests found that the performance of the Megalodon hinges greatly upon the source audio. If the game you are playing or media you are viewing does not support multichannel audio, Razer's Maelstrom engine (the digital brain of the Megalodon's multichannel support) can only do so much to create a fuller listening experience. Similarly, if the source audio exports only simulated surround sound it makes discerning directional audio a little less clear, despite the fact that the Megalodon itself is a simulated surround device. The purest experience we found was Blu-ray and Left 4 Dead, both of which support 7.1 surround sound audio. With these native sources, the Megalodon really shined, delivering crisp, clean, and surprisingly three dimensional audio. The Maelstrom engine does an impressive job of differentiating front, side, and rear audio, which otherwise typically blend together. With a 7.1 source, we were able to clearly locate voices and effects from minor environmental sources amongst a flurry of major nearby sounds. In Left 4 Dead, we were able to hear elements of the game we had never heard before, like subtle mutterings of nearby and distant zombies and realistic rain effects."